Drug firms back dispensing split

NST: KUALA LUMPUR: Doctors and pharmacists should work as a team for the best care for patients, said Malaysian Organisation of Pharmaceutical Industries (MOPI) president Jimmy Piong.
For them to work as a team, Piong said the Health Ministry should draw up a timeline for the separation of duties between doctors and pharmacists.
He said if pharmacists were given their role to play in the healthcare industry, logistics and infrastructure such as 24-hour pharmacies would not be a problem.
"We are talking about two groups of trained professionals. The doctors are trained to diagnose and treat patients while pharmacists are health professionals who know all about medication," he told the New Straits Times.
"Pharmacists not only dispense medication prescribed by doctors but also counsel patients on the proper use and adverse effects of that medication," he said.
Piong said if doctors were given more time to diagnose diseases, they could spend more quality time with patients rather than trying to manage the pharmacy in their clinics.
He said it was more professional to have diagnosing and prescribing medicine, and dispensing medicine as separate functions.
Furthermore, he added, it was the pharmacists and not the doctors who keep abreast of changes in the field of drugs.
"The majority of doctors do not even know the pharmacists in their area. There's a need for change.
"Doctors should network with pharmacists and tap their area of expertise," said Piong.
He said both parties should work hand-in-hand so that they could jointly provide quality healthcare.